Universal Language
by ZacFF
Summary: It's Pony Tsunotori's very first days of being in Japan, and she couldn't communicate with other people that well, what with her difficulty of being in another country where everyone speaks another language. Luckily, our boi Izuku Midoriya knows English, and decides to teach her Japanese. (Beta'd by TheToonyBoi)
1. Universal Language

**AN: SO… THE INSPIRATION FOR CAME FROM A MOMENT LONG BACK. MY FRIENDS AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW I ALWAYS GET ALONG WITH TRANSFER STUDENTS, AND THEN I SAID THAT'S JUST BECAUSE OF SIMILAR HOBBIES.**

 **AND THEN JUST TODAY, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.**

 **Pony Tsunotori. That American transfer student from 1-B**

 **NOW, WHAT DOES MIDORIYA HAVE IN COMMON WITH HER?**

 **READ AND FIND OUT.**

 **(THANKS TO MY BETA, TOONY, FOR EDITING THIS CHAPTER. HE DID A GREAT JOB.)**

 **PS. OH YEAH, NON-ENGLISH SPEECH WILL BE IN BOLD TEXT.**

* * *

It was a hard being at a school where you could barely speak the language that everyone else did.

But that was pretty much every day of Pony Tsunotori's life right now. And sadly, the only one who did speak her language made her unknowingly say rude things to her peers *cough* Monoma *cough*.

It wasn't that she couldn't understand them, she could understand them fine, not perfectly, but good enough. Her Japanese was also fine, but with her broken Japanese and the heavy American accent of hers, she constantly got weird looks from people.

Ah yes, her broken Englipanese.

Some would say it was broken English should the person speaking be Japanese.

But Pony Tsunotori was American.

So broken Japanese it was.

Was it more appropriate to call it mixed Japanese?

Some of you might wonder and ask, why did she go all the way to Japan to be a hero? Why U.A. of all places?

Well, that's because she wanted to go to the same school her idol, All Might, graduated from.

"It's okay, I can do this!" Pony said to herself. As she wandered around Musutafu.

Whenever she was by herself, she would speak in her native tongue and translate what she was saying word for word to Japanese.

Only by herself though... she felt embarrassed to do it with anyone around.

She then took out a dictionary.

"Alri- oof!" She bumped into someone.

A certain green haired someone.

Pony Tsunotori, shocked out of her internal conversation, failed to keep her footing after bumping into the taller boy. She let out a yelp as she fell to the ground, and before she could stop herself she blurted out,

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

In English, she regretted it immediately after and slammed her hand over her mouth but...

The deed was done.

She thought about everyone looking at her funny, all of those seemingly evil glares drilling into her soul. She looked around afraid of people's reactions.

Thankfully there weren't many people in the vicinity. With it being around three in the afternoon, she'd expect more people. But she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"H-H-Hey, are you okay?" The bushy-haired boy asked her in English as he offered her a hand.

Wait.

 _English?!_

Tsnotori stood up quickly as she clasped the hand and stared at him in shock.

"Y-You can speak English!?" She exclaimed with wide eyes.

The boy seemed to blush from her reaction and the sudden physical contact.

"Y-Y-Yes. O-Only a little though..." The boy managed to say.

Pony Tsunotori pumped her fist in the air enthusiastically.

 _Yes! Someone who could speak to me freely!_

Then she got a good look at his face.

'Wait, I recognize this guy…' Tsunotori then snapped her fingers. "Midora Izuku, right?"

Midoriya scratched the back of his head. "It's actually Midoriya, Miss Tsunotori."

"O-Oh, I'm sorry." She said. "Wait, you remember me?"

He nodded. "O-Of course! I may not know everyone in class 1B personally, but I make an effort to remember them." He told her. "Monoma… I guess _'introduced'_ you to us after all."

Tsunotori shuffled in her position. "O-Oh, I see. Sorry for saying those things to you. I didn't know what they meant when Monoma asked me to say it."

"It's alright. No harm done." Izuku went behind her to pick up a crumpled burger wrapper. He sighed "I guess these things happen."

She looked on as she saw Izuku throw the wrapper she knew still had food in it.

But now he couldn't eat it.

All because of her carelessness.

She had to make it up to him...

Steeling herself, she grabbed Izuku's hand. "I'm so sorry, I made you drop that! You know what, I'm buying you another one Midoriya!"

He blushed as he was practically dragged across the street, by a girl no less. "Miss Ts-Ts-Tsunotori!"

She shook her head. "Please, I insist!"

"Okay but we're going the wrong way!"

She stopped dead in her tracks. She felt so embarrassed that she hid her face. "Oh my gosh, my gosh. That was so embarrassing!"

Izuku looked at her and chuckled. "Come on, I'll lead the way since you really want to."

Tsunotori smiled at him. "Don't act like it's against your will."

"W-W-Well, I-It's- Ah…. Umm…."

She only chuckled at his expense as he tried to explain himself.

"Alright, alright. I get it." She said as she offered her hand to Midoriya. "Lead the way Midoriya."

The green-haired boy nodded.

"Yeah, let's go Miss Tsunotori-"

"Please don't call me that Midoriya, call me Pony. In America we say first names anyways.

Izuku blushed as the culture shock got to him, "Nononononono I can't do that Miss Tsunotori! That would be too embarrassing and disrespectful."

Tsunotori sighed. "Ok, but at least drop the Miss. It makes me feel as old as Midnight…"

That got a chuckle out of Izuku, "Okay, Tsunotori, let's go then."

* * *

"So, how'd you come across English?"

Tsunotori went and bought Midoriya and herself a burger to eat they sat down on a bench in a nearby park to eat and chat.

Izuku swallowed a piece of his food. "Well… promise not to laugh."

She smirked. "Nope."

Izuku would have never imagined the transfer student to act like this, it was surprising, but not unpleasant to see.

"A-Alright then." Izuku went on anyway. "I-I'm a really big fan of All Might."

Tsnotori smiled at that. "Who isn't?!"

Izuku laughed. "Yeah. Anyways, All Might's moves are always in English, and he sometimes speaks it too." He admitted. "So… it started from watching All Might's fights, to his skillset, and then later on I got lessons from the internet to understand it better."

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "No professional tutor or anything, just purely by… uhmm…." He thought of something to call it.

"Being an _**o**_ **taku**."

Izuku nodded. "Y-Yeah. Being an **otak** -" His eyes widened in realization.

"H-Hey! How did you even learn that word anyways?" He asked.

The American girl giggled. "I hear it all the time over in America. Most take it as a compliment."

Izuku shook his head. "I'm n-n-not an **ota** -"

"How much All Might merchandise do you own?"

"…" Izuku fell silent.

Pony laughed. "Sorry, sorry, your reactions are just too cute."

Midoriya stared at her with a blush erupting all over his body. " _Eh?_ "

" _Eh?_ "

Pony suddenly matched his shade in red, trying to hide her face deep within her dictionary _. Why did I say that!?_

Izuku stared blankly, unknowing of what to say.

 _Maybe I didn't hear her right? Yeah. That must be it._

He took a shaky bite out of his burger, not knowing what to say, he then noticed the object that Pony was using to hide her face.

"A dictionary…?"

Pony let her dictionary drop a little from her face. "Huh?"

"You're still trying to learn Japanese?" Izuku inquired.

Pony set the dictionary down and opened several pages. "Hm? Yeah I still have trouble pronouncing stuff."

Midoriya took his last bite. "I was like that first when I was learning English." He told her. "I kept getting tongue-tied when it came to the words with the letters R or L."

Pony nodded. "Ahh, because there isn't an L in the Japanese alphabet right?"

"It's somewhat an in-between in the phonetic alphabet, but that's the gist of it." Izuku told her.

"That's so weird to me." Pony said as she took a bite of out her burger. She turned the page looking for new words.

Midoriya had an idea. "If you want I can help you learn."

What followed that was what could only be described as an awkward silence,

Pony Tsunotori suddenly snapped her head to face Izuku so fast you could hear a couple neck cracks.

 _Was he serious!?_

Midoriya blushed in embarrassment and waved his hands in front of him. "I-I-If you don't want to then it's fine! I-It was just a s-suggestion!"

Pony dropped her dictionary and clasped izuku's hands in her own. "No! I mean- Yes! I mean… Ah I-". Pony shook her head. "I would love to have you teach me!"

Midoriya smiled and nodded. "Me too." He said as he threw his burger wrapper into the trash can near them. "But learning a language isn't going to take just a day, it'll take several, probably even months. Is that alright with you?"

No hesitation.

"Absolutely!" Pony nodded.

Izuku nodded and smiled softly. "Alright then." He said. "So, when do we start?"

He was thinking maybe week by week, starting tomorrow. But it was up to whatever Tsnotori wanted. He thought about every time-slot there could be…

"Today. Now. Here."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise. "T-Today? Now? Here?"

"Yes!" Pony said as she offered her dictionary. "Then tomorrow, then the day after that, and so on so forth."

He didn't expect it to be _every day_!

"B-But-!"

"It's still afternoon. Do you have anything to do?"

"Not reall-"

"Then please, take the time and teach me." Pony pleaded. "I-I really want to connect to other people. To speak the language they say, to laugh along with my friends, my classmates. I can't stand hearing things I can't understand. I don't like the looks of pity I get when they realize I can't understand what they say. I don't want to be taken care of like a princess whenever I say something!" She exclaimed him. "My accent as well! I'm sick of everyone treating and looking at me differently!"

She gripped her dictionary tightly and closed her eyes. "I _really_ need your help!"

Izuku's eyes widened in realization.

He never knew how being unable to understand and be understood by others was, he learned English. He learned English to understand references from All Might, Present Mic, and other heroes who spoke English.

The girl in front of him was the classic fish out of water trope. She just didn't want to be isolated and alone anymore.

And he knew better than anyone what being alone was like.

He put on a fearless grin emulating his idol. "Fear not, Tsunotori!" He pumped his fist out. "Why? Because I am here… to teach you Japanese! We shall get started right away." Midoriya started to speak in a deeper voice.

"You'll learn Japanese before you know it! With the _'Learn Japanese: The Japanese Vocabulary and Grammar Dream Plan'_!"

"…"

"…"

" _What?_ "

He blushed in embarrassment.

"S-S-Sorry, It's an inside joke..." He scratched the back of his head nervously.

The day had passed, and Tsunotori had gained a little bit of information. She had a better grasp on the basics of Japanese.

But it was only the beginning.

"Same time same place Tsunotori?"

"Actually... how about we meet up at the local library?" She suggested.

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "The library?"

She nodded. "It's just… in front of all these people is a bit embarrassing." She told him, rubbing her shoulder.

Izuku chuckled. "A-Alright then."

"We meet up here and go to the library." Pony told him. "I guess this is the start."

Izuku smiled.

"Yes. Yes it is."

The first of many.

* * *

\- Day 2 -

Pony Tsunotori and Izuku Midoriya were now in a library.

The library was what you would expect in any other really. With some tables, bookshelves, and of course, a whole bunch of books.

Right now, Pony and Izuku were seated in one of the library tables. With Izuku next to a couple of next to him. They began their session as soon as they got to the library.

"So you can speak little Japanese, right?" Izuku inquired.

She nodded. " **Yes** _._ " Pony said in Japanese.

"We didn't really do much yesterday, so right now, give me what you got." Izuku said. "Speak as naturally as possible in Japanese, then I'll point out your mistakes, grammatical errors, the things you did right."

Pony nodded and began speaking in Japanese as naturally as she could.

" **I had a** **wonderful** **start to the day today! Although our time together was very short, I was very excited about our session today! Really! Now, let's start with…** "

Pony kept on talking in Japanese as naturally as she could, her accent remaining consistent in every syllable, a few English words slipped in, but Izuku didn't seem to mind.

As soon as she finished, she saw Izuku had just finished jotting down notes on some paper before he faced her.

He smiled. "Not bad. The grammar is fine, nothing wrong with that, but you're using words that may have a substitute that better suits the situation." Midoriya gave him his paper. "With words like _'Very short'_ could be substituted for _'brief'_. And _'very excited'_ for _'ecstatic'_."

She looked down slightly with the critiques.

"But, that's what I'm here for." Izuku said trying to cheer her up. "And I'm not leaving till you can speak Japanese fluently."

Pony nodded excitedly.

"Thank you very much!

It had been past two weeks since then, and Pony was getting better and better. She could now speak coherent sentences slowly, her speech structure still had a bit of work to go, but it was overall going great.

And once again they found themselves in the library to start their new session.

Midoriya nodded. " **Good morning, Tsunotori-san.** " He said in Japanese, testing her ability to respond to him.

Lately he would do this to throw her off and test her reflexes, sometimes she slipped up and answered in English, other times she answered in Japanese.

Pony smirked. " **Good morning, Midoriya.** "

"You're reactions are improving." Izuku said with a smile. "That's great!"

Pony smiled at the compliment, she had been trying her best ever since she started. "Thanks!" She said. "Now, what will we be doing today?"

"What we will be doing today…" Izuku paused for suspense. "Tongue-twisters!"

"Tongue…twisters?" She repeated.

Izuku nodded. "Yes. Tongue-twisters." He pulled out his notebook. "I'm having you do tongue twisters to avoid the chances of you stuttering or maybe even slipping during conversation. Plus, it also helps you talk as fast as it is fluent."

Pony seemed to understand. "I see, alright then! **Hit me!** " She said, before realizing what she had just said.

Or more specifically, what she had said in _Japanese_.

"SHH!" The librarian told her.

Pony mumbled a quiet apology and looked around their perimeter.

All around her were people giving her confused looks. She couldn't tell what they were thinking.

Oh who was she kidding, they knew exactly what they thought about her.

"Is she a masochist?"

"And in a library too."

"Exhibitionist?"

"Guess it's true what they say about American girls."

"You do realize you just stereotyped an entire country right?"

Pony turned red in embarrassment and hid her face, trying to hide her frustration with herself.

Izuku saw her predicament. "It's ok Tsunotori, don't pay attention to what they say, all you have to do is pay attention to me and our lesson and forget about everyone around us. Besides although the phrasing was wrong that was good Japanese!" Izuku consoled her and softly took her hands off of her face revealing the blushing mess that was his pupil. Though she was blushing for a different reason now. Not that the dense green bean would ever notice.

" **Jugemu Jugemu Gokō-no surikire Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakōji-no burakōji Paipopaipo Paipo-no-shūringan Shūringan-no Gūrindai Gūrindai-no Ponpokopī-no Ponpokonā-no Chōkyūmei-no Chōsuke.** " Izuku said in one take.

Pony tilted her head. "…Huh?"

He chuckled. "Just kidding, here's your tongue-twister." He cleared his throat. "First, say this in English; Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie."

"Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie." She repeated in English a few times to get it down.

He nodded. "Now in Japanese _._ **Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie**."

" **Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagin** _-_ bleeh." She stuttered.

"Yeah, it's not so easy." Izuku chuckled. "But we'll keep trying."

Pony smiled at Izuku.

"I'll do my best!"

* * *

And before she knew it, a month and a half had passed since she first ran into Izuku. Since then, she had her grammar and accent up to snuff. He had been a really good teacher. Taking it slow and being very patient whenever she got frustrated at herself or she kept getting something wrong. He never showed any signs that he was frustrated at her.

And as she looked at her surroundings, she spotted Izuku jogging and waving as he approached her.

The park that they frequented to had become important for the both of them. It was, after all, where their bond was formed.

"Hey, Tsunotori." Izuku greeted her.

After a while they were finally comfortable with each others company, and she was eternally thankful for it.

Pony waved. "Hey Midoriya!" She said. "What are we doing today?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "Well, the thing is… you're done!" He congratulated her.

Her eyes went wide. "W-What?"

"I have nothing else I can teach you Tsunotori, congratulations!" He said. "But… I didn't want the day to go to waste so… I thought maybe we should go and celebrate!"

 _I'm done?_

That's right, before she knew it, before she even realized it, she got a great grasp on Japanese. Her accent was less noticeable, she barely stuttered, and she could hold decent conversations now!

She had finally completed her lessons, she knew Japanese now.

It was what she always wanted.

But why...?

Why did she feel… sad?

Pony shook her head, dismissing the thought.

"So, um… where do you want to go?" Izuku inquired.

The girl in question only patted the open seat next to her.

"Here?" Izuku looked around. "Alright then."

The park was where they decided to actually hang out for the first time!

No lessons, no one teaching anyone.

Just hanging out.

And it was Pony's celebration. So if she wanted to hang out here, then it was fine.

Izuku sat down. He saw Pony looking up at the sky.

"It took you a month and a half to learn Japanese. You learned Japanese way faster than I did English." He told her. "Great job Tsunotori."

She chuckled. "Please. I couldn't do it without you. Thank you for that."

Izuku blushed in embarrassment. "Wait, I'm sorry this took me a month and a half to ask but... why me?"

"Huh?"

"Why me? Out of all people? I'm not even in class 1-B." He asked. "You could've asked Itsuka or anyone else in your class for that matter.."

It had bugged him, but he forgot to ask every time.

Pony chuckled. "Oh that? Well, safe to say, they wouldn't treat me like you do."

"What do you mean?"

"Treat me like _this_." Pony told him. But she knew he was still confused. "Big sis Itsuka is just that. The big sister to all of us. I know she would be more than happy to teach me, and she can speak decent English, not as good as yours, but it's decent."

Izuku nodded. "So I can speak English better, that's why?"

Pony immediately shook her head. " _No!_ " She exclaimed. "I mean, no, that's not the only reason." She told him.

"Big Sis would treat me like a baby, delicate and fragile. She'd keep looking at me in understanding every time I have trouble speaking in Japanese." She said. "I don't want to be treated that way. I'm an adult!"

"Tsunotori, you're 16."

She coughed. "Either way, I'm not a child..."

"Anyways, I can get help with my classmates, but they can't understand me as well as _you_ can." She said. "And you didn't just understand how I talk, you understood my problems, being patient with me and helping me with every single step and never missing a beat. You picked me up when I stumbled but never outright told me the answer so I could actually learn instead of memorizing everything superficially as I was doing before."

"I admit, for the first few days, I doubted you. I thought about getting a professional instead." She admitted. "But…"

Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"But I… began looking forward to these sessions the more I went. I wasn't as anxious because I knew _you_ would be there." She told him as she grabbed his hands.

" I began looking forward to this every day. Because every day I get to see yo-" She lit up like fire.

Why was she going to say she liked seeing him!?

It almost slipped out?!

She felt as if she had just dodged a bullet.

"Never mind that." She dismissed as Izuku nodded. "I guess… I chose you because you knew the best way to help me for my sake."

Izuku scratched his cheek that was growing red with all of the praise he wasn't used to. "Ehehe... I didn't even do much… I just helped you help yourself, you are a great student."

She chuckled with a small blush. "That's a different level of humble there Midoriya." She said. "Most take a month and a half with 10 hours of learning to learn a language. It's because of you that I learned so quick."

She looked as Izuku flushed and waved his hand in front of him. Clearly approaching his limit of how much he praise he could take.

But Pony's expression became somber.

Izuku noticed this and immediately became concerned. "What's wrong?"

"It's just that…" She had trouble getting it out. "Now that we finished my sessions, I… I guess we can't keep seeing each other anymore. We can't hang out anymore."

These learning sessions with Izuku were what motivated her in a way, it was always something nice to look forward to. Something to sort of… rely on.

With him, they never was a dull moment.

Of course there were silent times… but it was a comfortable silence

His jokes and general personality brighten up the mood every time.

He surprisingly had a lot of charisma for someone who seemed so jumpy and introverted.

But now Pony couldn't experience it anymore, it was over...

"That's ridiculous."

At least, that's what she thought.

Pony turned towards Izuku. "H-Huh?"

"That's ridiculous. Who says we can't hang out just for fun?" Izuku told her. "I'm your friend Tsunotori. And It'll be that way for a long time."

This boy…

Izuku Midoriya…

"At least I hope so, I don't want to impose I'm sorry if that seemed to forward but I really like hanging out with you it's really fun and this time is really nice for m-"

His muttering spree was interrupted by Pony's megawatt smile., it confirmed that they were indeed friends..

"If you want to hang out, just give me a call. This isn't over unless you want it to be over, Tsunotori."

"Right!" She somehow managed to brighten up her smile even more.

 _How could I have been so stupid?_

 _Were friends!_

 _We don't need a reason to hang out, All I have to ask to…_

 _Be with him..._

Those last few words made the American girl realize something.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was feeling towards the green bean she now called a friend.

But there was one thing she knew.

She wanted to make more memories, moments, experiences with Izuku Midoriya.

She steeled herself, kept her head down, and stood up.

Izuku stood up as well. "T-T-Tsunotori? You okay?"

She turned towards Izuku. ".. **ki** _._ " She could barely be heard under the wind.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry could you speak up?"

She had her doubts, but she steeled herself.

There was only one thing to do right now.

She took a deep breath and prepared to let it out.

" **Su-** "

But a feather brushed past her nose and made her sneeze. But that didn't stop the words from leaving.

" **Tsuki!** _"_

Pony's eyes widened as she rubbed her nose.

She hadn't meant to say that!

And just like a switch, her confidence wore off.

' _Please tell me he didn't hear that! I swear I will die if he did!'_

Izuku was still looking at her, confused.

Busted.

" **Tsuki** – Moon?" He inquired. "Ah, yeah. The moon is visible even during the day, just have to look for it at the right place but what does that have to do with anything?"

Pony let out a sigh in relief. Before she straightened herself and quickly walked away. "Let's go!" She called out to him before she sped off.

"W-Wait, Tsunotori!"

The girl stopped in her tracks as she waited for Izuku to catch up. And as soon as he did, she told him something.

"Pony."

"Tsunotor-?"

She turned around and put a finger against his lips. "Call me Pony. We're close enough to go by first name. We've known each other for a month and a half now, right Izuku?"

Izuku flushed. "B-B-Bu-"

"Nope. I will only respond to Pony from now on. So you have to call me that." She told him. Not taking no for an answer.

Realizing it was hopeless, Izuku sighed and smiled. "Alright then. _Pony_."

Her heart stopped.

"Say that again." She requested as she closed her eyes.

Izuku raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Weird thing to ask, but he did it anyways.

" _Pony_."

She turned red. "One more time."

" _Pony_." Izuku said. " _Pony. Pony. Pony. Pony. Pony. Pony._ "

With each and every time Izuku said her name, Pony's heart skipped a beat, her face became so red it was practically a tomato.

She couldn't take much more, and so she did the only things she could once Izuku finished.

She once again sped off. This time though, she did it to hide her face.

"Catch up, slowpoke!" Pony teased even though she was still blushing.

And soon then Izuku caught up with her. Together, they laugh, told stories, did challenges, and just had fun.

Together, the fun each other had was doubled.

 _I'll tell you sometime, Izuku. But I don't think I can manage it now. I need to build more confidence._ Pony walked beside Izuku and smiled.

And without Izuku noticing, she put her hand on her chest to feel her heart beating. She smiled, hints of a blush on her cheeks.

' _And they say English is the only Universal Language.'_

* * *

 **AN: FROM THIS POINT ON, NON-JAPANESE SPEECH WILL BE IN BOLD TEXT.**

Izuku Midoriya was in U.A, sitting in his chair.. It was the morning after he and Pony had hung out. Needless to say he had fun and would no doubt be happy to do it again sometime.

"Hey Midoriya, want to work out later? Get some training in?" Ejiro asked him.

Denki went over to him. "Yeah bro! Are you occupied again later?"

The green-haired boy shook his head. "Actually, I'm free today."

"Whoo! Finally!" Rikido exclaimed.

"Yeah, my schedule's cleared up a bit." Izuku said.

"Oh yeah, what have you been up to Midoriya? Every afternoon for the past month and a half this has been going on." Shouto asked.

"Who the fuck cares?" Katsuki .

Tenya stepped in. "Midoriya-kun! It is important to have a break once in a while!"

But then, Mineta Minoru had an idea.

Mineta's eyes widened. "Could it be?! Midoriya you-! It's a girl isn't it!?"

This single sentence from the resident pervert spouted several reactions from a couple of girls.

Momo stood up. "M-M-Midoriya-kun! Is that true?!"

"W-Well-"

Ochako went near him. "D-Deku-kun…?"

Izuku stood up, wanting to defend himself. "L-L-Listen! It's not-"

"Um, excuse me. But, is Izuku Midoriya here?"

A voice from the door said.

Making way for said person, Izuku looked at the doorway and saw his pupil for the past month and a half.

Pony Tsunotori.

"Izuku, how about we hang out every week?" Pony bashfully asked. "Is… Is that alright with you?"

Ah that's right.

They were friends. And he'd said he would hang out with here anytime she liked.

He also said he would like to do it again sometime.

"Same time, same place?"

She smiled. "You know me so well, _Izuku_." She waved at him as she started to close the door.

"See you, _Pony_!" Izuku cheerfully waved.

Pony nodded and closed the door.

A deafening silence filled the room.

The foreigner of class 1-B had just talked to Izuku...

And they were apparently on first-name basis.

That would have been impossible for two people who didn't interact much.

Unless…

"I knew it! She was that girl you've been seeing!" Minoru pointed at him.

"I-I-It's true but I've just been helping her-"

Denki pat him on the back. "Nice job man!"

"Teach me your ways!" Rikido asked him.

"Midoriya-sensei! I'll be in your care!" Ejiro smirked.

Katsuki smirked. "Not too shabby, Deku."

"K-Kacchan!"

Izuku then felt two ominous presences behind him.

He took the plunge and turned around.

"Deku-kun…!"

"Midoriya-kun…!"

To find Ochako and Yaoyorozu glaring at him like like a jury ready for a verdict..

"Explain yourself! NOW!"

The both said simultaneously.

"I-I-It's not what you think!"

* * *

Pony Tsunotori was feeling satisfied with herself as she leaned onto the door of 1-A.

She might have done that on purpose.

Not to embarrass Izuku, but to let others know that there was a new competitor in town.

A new challenger for the oblivious Izuku Midoriya's heart.

But right now, she wanted to focus on her studies and follow her dream. Her heart would be somewhere in between.

After all, she would let Izuku know, not through words, but through actions.

Actions speak louder than words after all.

And there was more than one Universal Language.

 _The language of the heart is all I need to let him know._

* * *

 **AN: WHOO! MY PROJECTS ARE ALL DONE AND NOW I JUST HAVE MY QUARTERLY EXAMS THIS MONDAY-TUESDAY! FREEDOM IS NOT SO FAR AWAY!  
**

 **THIS JUST CAME IN MY MIND AFTER I FIRST SAW Pony Tsunotori. SO IT'S BEEN IN MY HEAD FOR QUITE A BIT OF TIME. I ONLY REMEMBERED IT AGAIN RECENTLY.  
**

 **YES, I AM AWARE OF U.A'S TIME SCHEDULES, JUST CHANGED THEM UP A BIT.  
**

 **ALSO, IZUKU LEARNING ENGLISH FROM BEING AN ALL-MIGHT FANBOY? COME ON, TELL ME IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.  
**

 **PONY TSUNOTORI WAS A BIT HARD TO CHARACTERIZED SINCE I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HER PERSONALITY. ALL I HAVE IS A 20 SECOND CLIP OF HER INTRODUCTION, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE'S FROM AMERICA, SHE HAS DIFFICULTY SPEAKING IN JAPANESE, AND… THAT'S IT.  
**

 **SPEAKING OF LANGUAGE. I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING OR BEING UNDERSTOOD BY ANYONE IN THE ROOM.  
**

 **IT'S BOUND TO HAPPEN IF YOU LEARN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FIRST BEFORE YOU LEARN YOUR NATIVE COUNTRY LANGUAGE.  
**

 **SIGNING OFF… ZacFF**

 **And Toony ;) - The Ever Helpful Beta  
**

 **PS.** _ **Ibara Shiozaki**_ **IS THE PUREST GIRL IN CLASS 1-B.**


	2. Home

_**AN: WASSSSUPPP! I LIVE!**_

 _ **THIS IS A SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE STORY WITH OUR RESIDENT FOREIGNER.**_

 _ **THOUGH THIS COUNTS AS A TWO-SHOT. I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO BE DOING A THIRD.**_

 _ **THAT COULD CHANGE THOUGH.**_

 _ **[BETA:**_ **ToonyTheBoi]**

* * *

Izuku was walking through the aisles of the market with a shopping basket in hand.

 _'Mom's going to hang out with her friends, and I'm on house duty!'_

Whenever his mom was out, Izuku could cook his favorite dish:

 _Katsudon_!

Although he could always cook something else, he chose to cook _Katsudon_ every opportunity available.

It wasn't like it was the only dish he could cook. He learned plenty of how to cook by helping out his mom while cooking, he just preferred _Katsudon_ every time.

But, monotony could get boring.

 _'How about cooking something else for a change?'_ Izuku pondered.

Izuku thought about it for a brief moment.

 _'I should've paid attention to that cooking show on television…'_

Preoccupied, Izuku didn't take note of his surroundings as he bumped into another person.

"E-Excuse m- I mean, _sumimasen…"_

That voice…

That sudden transition from English to Japanese…

Izuku recognized the voice immediately.

"Ah, no worries Pony," he greeted the American girl in her native language. "I should've paid attention to my surroundings."

Pony's eyes widened in recognition.

"A-Ah! Izuku!" Pony exclaimed. "What a surprise to see you here," she said as she took a glance at the contents of his shopping basket.

Or in this case, the lack thereof.

"What are you buying?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head. "Well… I always cook up _Katsudon_ whenever I'm the only one eating… but really I was thinking of cooking something else for a change."

Pony seemed to understand. "I see, whatcha gonna cook?"

Izuku sighed. "That's the thing. I don't know." He said. "Though I did see an American cooking show on Television earlier this morning, I should've paid attention. That way I could've not only expanded my knowledge and…" he murmured on.

While Izuku was talking to himself, Pony had an idea.

"Why don't I teach you something?"

The green-haired boy stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

Pony smirked. "I'm hurt Izuku." She feigned as she put her fist on top of her chest. "Talking about American food and all that, makes a girl wonder why you didn't think of her."

Izuku's eyes widened. He fell for the feint. "I-I-It's not what you think Pony! I mean, I was only-"

"I was just teasing you Izuku!" Pony said as she laughed.

Izuku's eyebrow twitched. "Anyway, what were you saying before?" He said, trying to change the subject.

Pony smiled. "Why don't I teach you something?" she suggested. "I consider myself good enough to cook for myself. And I'm also the best person you know you can ask for when it comes to American food."

The green-haired boy contemplated for a bit.

It was perfect.

"Really?"

Pony nodded. "Of course! You taught me Japanese, it would only be right to teach _you_ something as well."

"Alright!" Izuku pumped his fist up in the air. "So, what'll we be buying?"

Pony put a finger on her chin. "First… we have to think of the dish," she said. "What do you like?"

"Rice? Meat? Vegetables? I'm not too picky about food." Izuku replied.

"Well then, how about Jambalaya? Or maybe Gumbo," she said as she pulled out her phone.

Izuku tilted his head. "Gumbo? Jambala…?"

"Jambalaya or Gumbo." Pony showed him a picture of both dishes. "Gumbo is a dish from my hometown that's similar to stew. While Jambalaya is like seasoned rice with food on top of it," she explained. "Got it?"

Izuku nodded. "Yeah."

"Now, what do you feel like cooking?" Pony asked him.

Izuku contemplated for a brief moment, before settling on a dish.

"How about Jambalaya?" Izuku said. "Seems pretty tasty."

"You bet it is!" the American exclaimed. "Mom always makes it during the weekends. It's been one of my favorites ever since."

Izuku's anticipation grew. "What are the ingredients?" Izuku asked her.

Pony smirked.

"I know just what to get."

* * *

It only took Izuku and Pony half an hour to get all of the ingredients gathered.

"Bell peppers?" Pony looked in the basket.

Izuku nodded. "Check."

"Onions?"

"I have some at home."

Pony nodded. "And I have some Andouille back at home."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "An.. do… ee?"

"Andouille, it's a type of sausage back home where I'm from."

"I see."

"And that takes care of the sausage," Pony stated. "What else? Oh, How about the garlic? Or the celery?"

"I still have some celery and garlic back home," Izuku told her.

"I'll get the broth-" Pony snapped her fingers. "Oh, and the spices too. Do you mind if we use my Mom's mix?"

Izuku smiled. "You kidding? Of course not!"

Pony's eyes lit up. "Great!" She grabbed her phone. "So, where do you live?"

"..."

"Eh?"

Pony groaned. "Your address, dummy. How am I supposed to teach you how to cook Jambalaya if I'm not there?" Pony told him. "Were you planning on watching and reading articles on cooking?! I am offended!"

All of this, she said playfully.

But Izuku did not get the memo.

"I-It's not like that Pony! I'd love to learn from you! Really. I-It's just…"

Pony raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well…" Izuku scratched his neck. "You're the first one to come over my home."

Pony's eyes went wide with bewilderment. "R-Really?"

Izuku sheepishly laughed.

"Not even in grade school?" Pony asked.

Izuku shook his head. "Nope."

"Your friends won't come over and play games?"

"Well… I never really had friends growing up…" Izuku looked away in embarrassment. "I... don't really like talking about it."

Never had friends growing up…

Pony Tsunotori was an outgoing girl back in the states. To hear that one of her new friends had never experienced the delight of sleepovers, games, and other shenanigans that only friends could do with each other…

Suddenly, Pony had an idea.

 _'What if I…?'_

Pony dismissed the thought.

 _'I'll think on it later.'_

Izuku handed her a piece of torn paper. with his home address and phone number on it.

"Here, my address and my phone number just in case you have any other question later." He said.

Pony wasted no time. She whipped her phone out and in no less than a minute, managed to send a small text to Izuku.

Then Izuku's phone rang a small ding.

◤ **Hey Izuku, it's just me. Pony. Save my number.** _Sent 14:29_ ◢

Izuku quickly did as he was told.

"So, I guess I'll see you at 5?" Izuku inquired.

"See you then!"

Both individuals went their separate ways. Izuku quickly went home to tidy up, while Pony...

' _I CAN'T BELIEVE I ASKED TO COME TO HIS HOUSE!'_

* * *

 _*Ding * *Dong*_

Izuku Midoriya breathed in as much as he could.

 _'Calm down Izuku. It's just someone coming over your house. A girl is just coming over your house…'_

Izuku tried to calm himself but…

' _A GIRL IS COMING OVER MY HOUSE?!'_

He freaked out.

"Hello? Anybody home? Izuku?"

Izuku heard Pony call out from outside.

"C-Coming!"

Izuku straightened himself and went towards the door. The moment he opened it, he saw Pony wearing a different outfit than what he saw in the grocery.

Clad in a simple black t-shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes, she had possessed a different type of charm than the last times Izuku had seen her.

"H-Hey Pony. A-Ah Welcome to the Midoriya Residence," Izuku awkwardly welcomed Pony inside as he shut the door behind her.

Pony took a gander. "Nice place you have here Izuku," she said. Then she saw an All Might themed nameplate. "Heh, nice. What's in your room?"

Izuku's eyes immediately went wide. He rushed towards his door and blocked it. "O-Off limits!"

Pony pouted. "Alright." She then went to the living room. She searched around for something, or rather, someone. "Hey Izuku, where are your parents?"

"Ah, my mom is with her friends right now, and my dad's working overseas. I'm home alone until tomorrow," Izuku told her.

Pony nodded.

"Then let me sleep over."

"Huh? Ah, yeah sure why no-" Izuku took a moment to reanalyze the statement. "Wait what?"

Pony chuckled at his reaction. "I asked if I can sleep over your house tonight."

"N-Not that I don't dislike the idea b-but why?"

Pony Tsunotori huffed. "Since you've never had sleepovers, allow me to be the first sleepover buddy you have." Pony told him. "And being my first friend here in the land of the rising sun, I will make you have a sleepover by force if I have to or so help me…"

Izuku started to see the reasoning behind her words.

He too wanted to experience a sleepover or two, but there was one more problem...

"But Pony… you're a girl, and I'm a guy," Izuku tried to reason. "Doesn't that make things a little a-"

"Can't we just forget about our genders and just be friends?" Pony went for the guilt-trip method. "Honestly, I do good things for your own good and this is what I get? I brought all sorts of things to do for the sleepover too…"

And of course, Izuku Midoriya fell for it.

"A-Ah forget whatever I said. Of course you can sleepover, in fact, I'm glad you are staying," Izuku then said. "Here, put your bag over there for now." He gestured over at the sofa.

 _'Like a charm.'_

Pony did as she was told and put her bag on the sofa, before getting an apron out of said bag.

"Well then, without further ado…" Pony picked out the ingredients she had brought. "Let's get cooking!"

* * *

"Alright so first off, we decide what each of us is going to be doing," Pony told him. "Since I'm familiar with the dish, Izuku, you're going to chop, while I work the fire."

Izuku titled his head. "...Work the fire?"

Pony chuckled. "Oh right. It's a phrase where I'm from. It means I keep the food from burning, put spices in, that sort of thing."

Izuku seemed to understand. "So… what do we do first?"

In front of Izuku and Pony were the ingredients necessary for the recipe.

Vegetables, sausages, shrimp, broth, and a little secret spice mix that Pony claimed to have been a family spice.

Some ingredients were just best found in other countries, and those ingredients were what Pony brought aside from what Izuku already had.

"Since the shrimp have already been defrosted, dice the vegetables and cut the sausages into little bits while I heat the pan." Pony said as she turned on the stove and went to work on her side.

Izuku washed his hands and then carefully cut the ingredients. "So… anything special about these _Andooee_ sausages you brought?" Izuku inquired.

Pony giggled. "Andouille, and that is a type of spicy sausage that's from my hometown, Louisiana. Didn't I mention that?"

Izuku frowned a little. "If you did, I don't remember," he said while cutting the ingredients.

Pony dismissed the thought. "Anywho, are you done on cutting?"

Izuku nodded. "Just about, I just need to dice the celery and onions."

Pony nodded. She then put the cast-iron pan over medium heat and drizzled a small amount of olive oil into it. After that, she grabbed the sliced sausages from Izuku's side and put them in the pan.

"Now, we fry these sausages until they're all nice and brown on all sides." Pony grabbed a wooden spoon and stirred the sausages. "If the vegetables are ready to go in, you can add them in with the rest of the ingredients."

Izuku nodded, "Yes, ma'am," and dropped them in.

And after a few minutes, the sausages were ready.

"These should do," Pony said as she grabbed a spoon and put the cooked sausages back into the bowl, but not before she took two pieces.

She ate one and offered the other to Izuku. But not in a way you might think.

"Izuku, open wide." Pony told him.

Izuku turned towards Pony with his brow raised and mouth open.

"Wha-"

Pony shoved the slice of sausage in his mouth.

Izuku, albeit surprised by the action, slowly chewed and savored the taste of the piece of meat in his mouth.

His eyes widened. _'It's a little bit spicy…'_

"A little spicy huh?" Pony predicted.

Izuku slowly nodded, then he swallowed. "Y-Yeah, but it's a good spicy," he said, chewing the last of the sausage. "This is from your hometown?"

Pony nodded. "Yep!" she proudly declared.

She then grabbed the vegetables from behind Izuku, and poured the green bell pepper, celery, onion, and garlic cloves, all diced, in that order.

"So what we're going to do is cook these vegetables down until they're soft and tender. It will take just a few minutes," Pony said as she continued to stir the vegetables.

"Now… what do I do?" Izuku asked.

"Oh yes, take over here at the pan real quick." Pony told him as she offered the wooden spoon.

Izuku only went over and continued on Pony's work.

"I'll be real quick." Pony said as she washed her hands, dried them, and then pulled a Canning jar that had a mixture of seasonings and spices in it.

"What's that?" Izuku asked.

Pony smiled. "This is something my mother gave me, her own personal mix of seasonings and spices for cooking Jambalaya."

"Ooh." Izuku stared in awe, before going back to his stirring. "Any idea what specific seasonings or spices are in it?"

Pony shook her head. "Nope. Mom was always secretive when it came to her cooking."

Izuku slowly nodded. "I see." He took a good look at the vegetables and they seemed like they were fine enough. "Hey Pony, I think these are good now."

Pony leaned in closer to Izuku in order to take a closer look.

But that action had Pony leaning on Izuku's shoulder, which made Izuku blush at the sudden skin contact. But Izuku managed to compose himself right away.

"Yep, they sure are. Time to get these spices in the pan…" Pony opened up the mixture of seasonings and spices and poured it all over the pan. "There we go." She nodded. "Now keep stirring for another minute."

Izuku did as he was told.

"So, you have a large family Pony?" Izuku tried to engage in small talk.

Pony shook her head. "Not really no. It's just me, Mom, Pa, and my brother in the house."

"Ah, alright." Izuku replied.

And then silence took over.

 _'This is so awkward.'_ Both of them thought.

Until a minute had passed, and the pan was good enough for the next phase.

"So It's been a minute already, what now?" He asked.

Pony grabbed a half of a cup of tomato sauce and put it in the pan. "That right, there's tomato sauce. Continue stirring for a few more minutes."

Izuku continued stirring until the tomato sauce had settled in a little into the vegetables.

"And now, we pour in this chicken broth I had in my apartment." Pony said as she pour the broth onto the pan. "And then we put back the sausages…" The girl poured in the sausages from earlier. She then grabbed the wooden spoon, stirred for a few seconds, before putting the wooden spoon away and putting back on the lid of the pan.

Pony turned back towards Izuku with a smile present on her face. "Now we'll let that simmer for about 15 minutes or so."

Izuku was amazed. "You're pretty good at cooking."

Pony blushed in embarrassment. " _Stoooop_."

Izuku shook his head. "No, really. You seem like you could do this dish all by yourself."

"I've tried all these times, and yet I still can't make it as good as what mom makes," Pony told him.

"Does your mom cook by herself?" Izuku asked.

Pony shook her head. "No, Dad always helps her out either by doing prep work or switching cooking duties with mom."

Izuku smiled. "Then maybe all it needs is to have two people cook the same dish together," he told her. "It does take two to tango you know."

Cooking together?

Pony let out a somber smile.

When was the last time she had company since she came to Japan?

How many times had she tried dishes from back home but they didn't taste the same.

"But… I've tried so many times, they just won't taste the same," Pony said in a quiet tone.

Izuku contemplated. "Well we won't go anywhere with a mindset like that. Have a little faith, maybe today is the day we finally recreate your mom's food, it'll taste just like home."

Pony let out a chuckle.

' _Home, huh?'_

Pony pumped her fist. "You're right! I ain't goin nowhere till I get this thing done! Hear that y'all?!"

"..."

"..."

Izuku smiled. _'Was that an accent?'_

Pony, realizing what she just said, clamped her hands on her mouth immediately. "I just spoke in an accent didn't I?"

Izuku only looked to the side and whistled.

Pony pouted. She went closer towards Izuku and playfully pounded her fists onto his chest.

"Come on, don't be embarrassed. It was cute," Izuku suddenly said in an attempt to defuse the situation.

Pony suddenly stopped her barrage. And that's when Izuku realized what he had said.

And likewise, he too clamped his hands on his mouth immediately. All the while red in embarrassment.

He slowly turned towards Pony, who had now backed away a few feet.

She only looked to the side and whistled.

Izuku groaned, much to Pony's amusement.

"Anyways, wanna know about Louisiana?" Pony striked up conversation.

Izuku slapped his face a couple of times, before turning to Pony and nodding. "Sure why not." Izuku offered Pony a seat, and he too sat as well.

"Well, Louisiana is a pretty cool state in my opinion. It's known for many festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Bayou Country Superfest, Essence Music Festival, Festival International, Voodoo Experience, etc." Pony told him.

"I think I've seen at least one of those on television," Izuku told her.

Pony nodded. "That makes sense, it's a festival and all," she said. "Anyway, as for growing up there, I grew up in New Orleans, filled with fishing spots, festivals, and Cajun or Creole food!"

"New Orleans? What's it like there?"

"Well, it's home for one. And I would never get bored there," Pony told him. "With so many things to do, I had trouble making time for my hobbies."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"One of my hobbies is fishing, and I _love_ fishing!" Pony enthusiastically told him. "Sure it can take a while, but it's part of the fun! Feeling that anticipation build up waiting for a fish to bite the bait, it's nerve-racking! And then when a fish finally bites, you yank the pole hard and try to keep it steady on the string! And then you-"

Pony stopped herself from saying anything further. She looked at Izuku who was only smiling. Pony's face turned red as she covered her face with her hands.

 _'So that's how I am when I mumble?'_ Izuku thought. "You really like fishing, don't you? I reckon I can find some fishing spots around Musutafu, let's go sometime."

Pony perked up. "You kidding? Absolutely!" the American laughed. "Now where was I? Oh, yes. We also have this celebration called Mardi Gras."

"Mardi Gras? What's that?"

"Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday," Pony told him. "Simply put, we dress up, dance, eat, drink, parade and much more! Just like any other festival or celebration!"

Izuku sounded interested. "That sounds like fun."

"You bet it is!" Pony said. "It's practically been my childhood! I remember, every year my family and I would look out the window to gaze at the parade. It had floats, people dancing…"

And so Izuku listened in on the stories of another country, while Pony was more than happy to do so.

But why was there that somber glow in Pony's eyes in contrast to her cheerful disposition?

* * *

"You're telling me you can drive a fanboat?"

Pony huffed with pride. "Of course I can! If you want good fish, then go deep or go home!"

They both laughed, and Izuku checked his watch.

"Oh, right it's been around 15 minutes?" Izuku told her.

Pony slowly stood up, walked over to the kitchen, opened the pan and put in one and one-half cups of white rice.

"So now that we've added the rice, we wait for another ten minutes before we put in the shrimp." Pony gestured towards the pound of jumbo shrimp in the bowl by her side.

"For ten minutes, alright." Izuku nodded.

Pony then sat back down. "Fun fact, rice is a staple food for both Japan and Louisiana." She told him. "The only difference is, at Louisiana we prefer to have it seasoned."

* * *

"And now for the shrimp." Pony gestured for Izuku to stand up. "It's your turn now Izuku."

Izuku nodded. He grabbed a pair of tongs and put each and every piece of Jumbo Shrimp gently in the pan.

"Deveined with tail-on huh," Izuku remarked.

"Yes." Pony nodded. "I like to eat the skin if it's deep fried, but when boiled, I like to peel it off myself."

Izuku laughed. "I do as well."

"But 'cause we're cooking Jambalaya, I decided these will do. Deveined with tail-on." Pony told him.

"And I'm not complaining." Izuku took a brief sniff of the dish. "It's starting to smell really good."

"Just as it's supposed to." Pony smelled the dish as well. "But if you think this is aromatic, then wait until the rice is really cooked. That'll be great!"

The Izuku and Pony's stomachs growled.

It seems both were affected by the mouth-watering aroma of the soon to be cooked Jambalaya.

Much to both of their own embarrassment, they both laughed.

"I can't wait."

* * *

"You think it's ready?" Izuku asked.

A few minutes had passed and by now the rice should have already cooked and the dish should be ready to eat. Much to the joy of both Izuku and Pony who were starving.

"Only one way to find out." Pony came closer to the pan.

The two came together in anticipation, eager to witness the fruit of their efforts.

Pony's hand stopped short of touching the lid. Both looked towards each other before they both nodded, and Pony finally lifted the lid off.

As soon as it did…

Aroma.

A most pleasant aroma flew all throughout the room. The Andouille and the Shrimp gave off a bold fragrance.

Their noses picked up the faint odor of peppers, and the simmering sauces sizzled in the heated pan.

It made them salivate at the mere sight of the Jambalaya.

Colorful arrays of red and green vegetables clumped around shrimp and buried in rice.

Perfectly palatable.

"Izuku, this ere's the result of our hard work, dedication, and effort!" Pony said. She couldn't wait any longer and grabbed two plates along with cutlery. "You ready to eat Izuku?"

Izuku nodded. "Of course I am! I'm so hungry I could eat a… nevermind."

Pony's eyes twinkled in mischief.

She knew exactly what Izuku was going to say. But with his hesitation with the phrase, could it be because of her name?

If so, then she was going to have a little fun with it.

"Hah? What was that? I didn't get what you were going to say." Pony slowly got closer to Izuku.

Izuku looked towards anywhere but Pony. "N-Nothing. I said nevermind."

Pony mischievously shook her head. "No no, You were saying a phrase or something~" she called him out. "You were so hungry you could eat a… how did the phrase go? Oh yes, So hungry you could. Eat. A. Hor-"

Izuku suddenly vanished. Next thing she knew, Izuku was by the plates about to scoop himself some food.

"Oh look the food's good to go better eat it while it's still hot!" Izuku kept his face from turning towards Pony was.

Either it was to avoid seeing Pony's proud, smug expression.

Or to hide his own embarrassment.

...Could be both.

* * *

And so they both sat down, plates filled with food. As Izuku was going to have his first bite, he stopped and looked at Pony, who's hands shakily bringing her spoonful of Jambalaya to her mouth.

The way the rice was steaming. The aroma of it all just making it all more delectable.

Seconds dragged on for what seemed like minutes as Pony brought the spoon closer to her mouth. Her eyes had this weird mix of emotion. Being both nervous and excited at the same time.

Izuku wrote that off as the normal emotion when tasting something you haven't cooked that much. But surely Pony had cooked the dish a number of times.

It might've been a trick of the light, but Izuku swore he could see Pony's eyes were a little bit wet. But he shrugged it off.

Then, at the same time as Pony, put the spoon in their mouths.

And then…

 _Flavor._

The Andouille made for a great complement in taste, being cut thick, the sausage was creating a more spicy taste in the dish. But not the kind of spicy you'd feel stick to your mouth getting worse for every breath you took, no. The spiciness of the Andouille all but clung to the rice and warmed the throat all the way down.

The vegetables were cooked enough to be crunchy, an added and most welcome addition to the mostly soft dish.

The rice wasn't too soggy, nor was it overcooked. The rice was just balanced, making it easy on the intake.

The jumbo shrimp accented the whole dish as well as it did its aroma. The consistency of the shrimp whilst chewing had improved the whole experience. As for the shrimp tails, they put them on the side of their plate.

And rather than conversing with each other, they both chose to eat their meal in a comfortable silence.

* * *

And the pan goes to the sink.

"I'm stuffed," Izuku said as he went back to the chair and leaned back. He rubbed his belly. "That… was delicious."

"Yeah, yeah it was," Pony plainly said. Her gaze still on her plate.

Izuku raised an eyebrow at her lackluster tone. "What's wrong?"

"H-Huh? What? N-Nothing's wrong," Pony tried to dismiss.

Izuku sighed. "I thought It was just a trick of the light but earlier when we were talking about your hometown, you had this… sad look in your eyes," he told her. "I'm your friend, Pony. If you don't want to talk about it that's fine. I'm just… concerned."

Pony nodded.

That's right. Izuku was a friend.

The friend who agreed to let her sleepover uninvited.

The friend who taught her how to speak Japanese.

And the friend who helped her make the Jambalaya taste so awfully close to home it _hurt_.

"Alright, Izuku," Pony started. "The Jambalaya, the dish we made was better than all of my previous attempts to make it. It tasted like… _home_." Pony looked at Izuku with teary eyes.

And then Izuku understood.

That glint in her eyes when she was talking about New Orleans.

Her eyes were a bit wet while eating.

' _Home…_ '

He came to a conclusion. "You're homesick…"

Pony nodded. "I least, I think so," she admitted. "Do you know… just why I wanted to go here? Why I wanted to cook Jambalaya so badly? Why I wanted to cook _with_ you?"

Izuku motioned for her to go on. Not saying a word.

Pony dropped a few tears. "Because I wanted company. It's childish but I wanted someone near me so bad. I've spent a few months living on my own and I was fine, but now that I have someone to talk to on equal ground, I don't want to be alone anymore."

"I've cooked Jambalaya more times than I can remember, and it's never tasted as good as it did now." Her hands balled into fists. "I was starting to get frustrated. I've been doing the same thing over and over again without improvement. It was starting to piss me off."

Izuku was a little thrown off. He had never seen this side of Pony before.

"B-But then why did you want to cook it with me?" Izuku managed to say. "I-I mean if it agitated you so much then why did you cook it with me?"

Pony kept her head down. "Because…"

The girl slowly put her head back up.

Izuku's eyes widened at the girl's puffy eyes.

"Because I wanted to feel _home_ again," she said. "I miss my family. I miss going on fishing trips with my dad, cooking with my mom… I miss a lot of stuff when I moved here to Japan," she said.

"This dish. Jambalaya, is one of the many dishes that make me remember home, an anchor. And when I couldn't make it as good as me and my mom did, I grew sad, each and every time," she sniffed. "I… I just wanted to feel at home again."

Izuku stood up, grabbed a tissue and offered it to Pony.

He couldn't fully understand Pony's situation. He'd never been so long away from home before.

But judging from Pony's current disposition, it couldn't have been a good feeling.

To be miles away from home.

In an unfamiliar environment.

Family and friends on another continent.

But needless to say. He'd be damned if he didn't do anything to cheer up his friend.

"You ever watch an anime episode or read a book and say _'Man that scene felt pretty rushed.'_ ?" Izuku asked.

"H-Huh?" Pony raised an eyebrow as she sneezed. That was a random question. "Y-Yes. Why?"

"You know why they feel rushed? Because the person making it is probably out of time and they have to rush. But sometimes, they make the same thing over and over again and it gets old, and they lose motivation in doing it properly," Izuku told her.

Pony grew confused. "W-What do you mean?"

"Monotony can be boring," Izuku stated. "If you do the same thing over and over again without improvements, you start to get agitated. Once agitated, you mostly just do something just to get it done. You cut corners, skip steps, just to get that certain thing done." He explain.

"And you know what happens then?"

Pony's eyes widened in realization. "It… shows on the outcome."

Izuku gave her a thumbs up in approval. "Exactly! What you feel reflects in your work," he said. "And that's the reason why the Jambalaya we made was so good!"

Pony smiled. "Because I had… fun making it," she wiped her tears. "I… had fun cooking it! I had so much fun cooking!"

Izuku smiled.

There she was.

"See? You just have to get into the mood to make great stuff." Izuku stood up and brought the plates and cutlery to the sink to wash them. "Now I'm in the mood to wash some dishes. Care to help?"

Pony nodded and went up to Izuku's side to help.

While they were taking turns washing and rinsing, Izuku's mind was preoccupied with another point Pony brought up.

Her homesickness.

How was he going to help her if he himself didn't know how to?

Subtly, Izuku came to a realization.

 _'I know only one person who at least suffered homesickness before.'_ Izuku deduced. _'I'm going to have to call him later for advice.'_

Meanwhile, Pony was also pondering.

Why was she so comfortable cooking with Izuku?

The anxiety she felt all of the times she cooked before.

The nervousness she had before taking the lid off the pan.

She didn't feel any of that.

When she was cooking with Izuku… she genuinely felt happy.

Then she looked at Izuku, who noticed her gaze, paused in his work and smiled back at her, before paying attention to the dishes again.

In that instant, her heart skipped a beat, and her face felt warm.

 _'I'm…. happy being here… with you.'_

* * *

"With the dishes done, it is now time for the next phase of the sleepover," Pony told him. "Care to guess what it is?"

"Uumm…" Izuku had no clue. "Sleeping?"

Pony didn't even try to resist the urge to facepalm. "Do you see what time it is?"

"7:30pm?" Izuku replied.

"And that, in my book, is too early to sleep," Pony stated. "No, what we will do is something fun, exciting, and exhilarating!"

Izuku winced.

 _'This can't be good.'_

"The gaming phase! Where we play games till the clock strikes 12!" Pony declared.

Izuku let out a sigh.

 _'Safe.'_

"Come on, let's boot up your console and start playing." Pony said as she did just that.

"B-But I don't have a second controller."

Pony snickered. "That's why I brought my own!" She said. "You mind getting it for me? It's on the front zipper of my bag, the smaller one."

"Sure." Izuku walked over to Pony's bag to get the controller.

Pony's eyes widened as she remembered something.

She didn't only keep her controller in there, she also kept her… _underwear_.

"Izuku stop!" Pony told him as she turned around.

Luckily, Izuku had only opened a fraction of the zipper, so her underwear was safe from Izuku's eyes.

Pony sighed.

"What? What's wrong?" Izuku asked.

"My und-" Pony stopped herself.

Izuku was still clueless. "What?"

 _'WERE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO SAY YOUR OWN UNDERWEAR'S LOCATION? GET YOURSELF TOGETHER GIRL! YOU AREN'T THIRSTY!'_ she screamed in her head.

"Well, I don't really know your console that much, so I think it would be better for me to search my own bag, and for you to set up your own console." Pony said as she playfully bonked herself in the head.

Izuku raised an eyebrow but complied nonetheless. He stood up and went towards his console while Pony went towards her bag.

As soon as Izuku was behind Pony, the girl wiped sweat off of her forehead.

 _'Safe.'_

"Hey, the console's ready," Izuku said.

Pony nodded and turned around. Brandishing her yellow controller.

"It's game time!"

* * *

"Did you just knife me, Pony?"

"You mad, Izuku?"

"It's a gun game for a reason, Pony."

"Yeah, yeah. But rules are made to be broken."

"If so then _HYAAA."_

"...Did you seriously knife me? I'm not even at a high enough score."

"Wanna knife the other players?"

"The one who knifes the most wins?"

"Let's go."

* * *

"You know, I'm kinda glad I can speak and understand Japanese now."

"Why is that?"

"Cause now I can copy and say my favorite catchphrases."

"Like what?"

"Like… now! _**STAR PLATINUM: ZA WARUDO!**_ "

" _Nani?!_ "

" _ **ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!**_ "

"You were waiting for that chance weren't you, Pony?"

"What? I'm a Japanese citizen now. I can say these things."

"Sorry, but it's my game! _**SAISHO WA GŪ, JAN... KEN... GŪ!**_ "

"Aw come on!"

"What? Consider yourself lucky I didn't use All Might."

"All Might's in the game?"

"Yeah, there's a comic of him in the Weekly Shōnen Jump. Guess they decided to put him in Jump Force as DLC."

"Izuku, to be honest, Jump Force is a crappy game."

"...Really now? You wanna get in this argument?"

* * *

" _~Deja vu, I've just been in this place before~"_

"Pony, this is Gran Turismo Sport. Not Initial D."

"But it's still a racing game. Now don't be such a sourpuss and sing with me," Pony said. " _~Deja vu, I've just been in this time before~?"_

Izuku sighed.

" _Higher on the street and I know it's my place to go~"_

Pony let out a grin.

 _"~Calling you and the search is mystery~"_

 _"~Standing on my feet~"_

 _"~It's so hard when I try to be me~"  
_

"Yeah!"

* * *

"When you think back on what this game started as… it's amazing that it got this far."

"Hey, Minecraft isnt all about blocks, Pony, it's about making your own world, playing in your own sandbox."

"It's amazing when you put it like that."

"It sure i- Pony look out behind you a Creeper!"

"A Creepe-"

 ***BOOM***

"..."

"..."

"Told you we should've gone for wool first."

"...Should've listened."

* * *

"Time check, 11:00 pm," Pony said as she stretched.

"Yeah, didn't think that much time had passed," Izuku said as he was turning off the console.

"Time flies when you're having fun," Pony said.

Neither of them wanted the day to end.

 _Come on Pony, think of something to do!'_ She racked her brain.

What could they do this late at night?

Luckily, Izuku had something up his sleeve.

"Hey Pony, want some coffee or tea?" Izuku asked. He went up to the kitchen and grabbed a coffee maker along with a few tea bags.

"...Eh?"

"Do you want coffee? Or tea?" Izuku asked again.

"Eh- uhm, coffee!" Pony said.

Izuku nodded as he put the tea bags back to where they belong. He then plugged in the coffee maker and brought out coffee beans.

Pony took a seat at the table while watching Izuku. "You drink coffee, makes sense." She attempted to start a conversation.

"Do I look like a tea person?"

"I reckon you drink nothing but tea all day like a sophisticated man."

Izuku chuckled. "My mom drinks tea. I could drink tea as well, but I like the kick that coffee has."

Pony chuckled as well.

 _'This might be a chance.'_ Izuku planned. He grasped the phone in his pocket. _'Alright.'_

He put the coffee beans in the machine. He turned it on and heard the sound of the waking machine.

"Pony, care to watch the coffee maker for about a bit? I have a call to make," Izuku told her as he went out the door.

Pony gave him a mock salute. "Aye aye Izuku!"

He nodded. "I'm just outside the door if you need me."

* * *

Izuku leaned against the railing in front of his apartment door. He brought out his phone and called a certain number.

A number whose owner he didn't get to see for a long period of time.

 _Ring_

 _Ring_

 _Ring_

 _Click!_

 _[Hey, Hisashi Midoriya-kun here. What dost thou need of moi dear son?]_

Izuku laughed. _"Hey, dad."_

 _[How's my little green bean?]_

 _"I'm fine Dad. But I need your help with something."_

He could hear his father chuckle knowingly on the other side of the phone.

 _[Something? Or someone?]  
_  
Izuku clicked his tongue. _"Someone. How did you know?"  
_  
 _[You're a smart boy Izuku. If it was something you know how to do you'd figure it out yourself. So it must've been a person. So what's up?]_

Izuku sighed. _"I have this friend, she's a foreigner at about 4 or so months into Japan. Long story short, she's suffering a little homesickness. I was hoping you'd be able to help."_

 _[Kid. You came to me for advice?]_

 _"You've been there before am I wrong?"_

 _[No, no kid. That's not the problem.]_

 _"Then-"_

 _[Look, homesickness isn't that big a deal, but it isn't a small one either. It's… something that differs from person to person.]_

 _"Then how? I just…"_

Izuku clenched his fists. _"I just want to help her. She just seemed so sad and I… I don't want to see her like that."_ He heard his father let out a brief chuckle.

 _[You're a good kid, you know that?]_

Izuku blushed in embarrassment. _"W-W-What? I-I mean t-thanks but Dad that's embarrassing!"_ His father's laugh grew.

 _[But kid, in all honesty, you can't be the one to help her. Homesickness has no remedy other than getting over it with time.]_

 _"Can't you just give me one thing so she can feel a little bit better?"_

He refused to accept that he couldn't help.

That there was no other way.

Hisashi sighed at the other end of the call.

 _[Kid, have her call her parents. It's a start I'll give you that.]_

Izuku nodded.

It wasn't the solution he wanted, but beggars can't be choosers.

 _"Alright, thanks, Dad."_

 _[Just give me a holler and I'll do my best. Good luck with your girl Izuku!]_

 _Click._

Izuku stared blankly at the phone for a moment. Before heading back into his apartment.

All the while that little thing his Dad said remained in his mind.

 _'What did he mean by 'Good luck'?'_

* * *

"Oh hey, that was quick," Pony greeted him.

Izuku smiled. "Hey." Izuku made his way towards the coffee machine, thinking on what he should do.

' _Well, no better time than the present, right?_ '

"Hey Pony, why don't you call your parents," Izuku smoothly said. "Brag about the dish we made. How you finally got it right."

Pony's eyes grew wide in remembrance.

Of course, how could she forget?

She was _so_ going to brag about it to her parents.

"You're right!" Pony swiftly grabbed her phone and went out the door. "It's about early morning there right now! Perfect time to call."

She paused in front of the door." Thanks, Izuku. I'll be right back."

Izuku waved her goodbye. "Take your time."

He saw her leave and heard the door close with a click.

Yet, he couldn't stop himself from frowning.

"I hope all goes well."

* * *

Pony dialed a number in her phone, she put the phone against her ear as soon as the other side answered.

 _[Hello there, Tsunotori Residence.]_ A female voice answered albeit the tone was drowsy.

Pony giggled. "Hey, mom! Guess what?"

 _[Oh, Pony! What is it?]  
_  
"I actually made Jambalaya as good as yours!"

 _[Wait… really?]  
_  
"Yes, really!"

 _[You're not pulling my leg right now or…]_

Pony groaned. "How hard is it to believe I actually cooked food as good as yours?"

Her mom laughed.

 _[Come on Pony, I was just messing with you. Good job, Pony! It's been a while since you last called. And this early too, or I guess for Japan it's late. Your father's still asleep.]  
_  
Pony chuckled. "That sounds like him."

 _[Oh right, earlier this week, your father had an appointment that went so well he went home and said 'I'm a mad manager, is so cool… Sunovabitch.']_

Both of them laughed at the joke.

"Did he really say that?"

 _[I bonked him right in the head afterwards though, but lightly. Anyways, how's My Little Pony doing?]_

"Mom, when will you stop with that nickname?"

 _[What? It's cute.]_

"You're messing with me aren't you?"

 _[What else is a mother to do?]  
_  
" _Mom!_ " Pony groaned.

Her mother's laughter could be heard on the phone.

 _[We miss you Pony. How's Japan so far?]  
_  
Pony couldn't stop her frown. "It's… fine."

 _[Hold up, what's that tone you have there?]_

"W-What tone?"  
 _  
[Don't lie to your mother Pony. What's wrong?]  
_  
"N-Nothings wrong with me," Pony denied.

 _[Pony. Are you being bullied? Tell me who and I'll get a ticket and-]_

"N-No one's bullying anyone, Mom!"

 _[Then why are you sad?]_

"I'm not sad… I'm just..." Pony struggled to continue.

 _[Pony, I'm your Mother, you can talk to me.]_

The American sighed.

"I guess I just… I miss home." Pony looked out with a faraway gaze. "I miss you guys, I miss New Orleans, I miss fishing… I want to go home," she said.

 _[Okay. Then why did you even go to Japan in the first place?]_

Pony raised an eyebrow. "B-But you know why."

 _[Yes I do, but I want to hear it from you. Why did you go to Japan, Pony?]  
_  
"T-To… To be a hero."

 _[What exactly did you say when you asked us for permission to go to another country to be a hero?]_

Pony looked down at the lights from the buildings in front of her. "I-I wanted… to go to the best hero academy in the world and become a hero."

 _[Exactly! And would you rather cancel your study there and go back home here? Cause I can do that in a heartbeat if you wanted me to.]_

Pony's eyes became wide. "W-W-What? No! I want to stay here!"

 _[Didn't you just said earlier that you missed home?]_

"Yes I did, but…" Pony sniffed. " I-I'm confused…"

 _[Pony, dear. Listen to me.] h_ er mother said in a caring tone.

 _[You don't want to come home, you want to feel at home,]_ her mother said. _[Your father would be a much better person to talk to for things like these. But I'll do my best for you.]  
_  
 _[Pony, we'll always be here for you. Waiting for you to come home. But we'll be damned if you don't become a hero before that. Your Dad would pamper you full time once you do. Gotta have the resilience of a hero to deal with that.]_

Pony laughed as she dried her tears. "Yeah, he would do that."

 _[Hey, you wanna hear a story Pony?]_

"S-sure."

 _[When your Dad first came to the states, he got homesick, and at the time he was just as homesick as you now. He'd been like that for 3 months. Irritable, unfocused, unmotivated, lazy. He missed his family, his home, he missed Japan.] Her mother told her. [But you know how he got over it?"]  
_  
"N-No, how?"

Her mother chuckled. _[I don't mean to be cheesy but… your father met me,]_ she admitted. _[He started smiling a lot. He got along with his coworkers, he was really motivated at times. And I pushed him to do so.]  
_  
"W-Wow," Pony manages to say.

 _[Moral of the story: find an anchor, Pony. Find something that makes your time there worthwhile whilst reaching towards your ultimate goal,] her mother said. [Don't waste your time feeling sad when you could do all sorts of things. Are you some gal who can't do anything by herself?]  
_

 _[I want an answer, Pony.]_

"N-No, I'm not."

 _[Do you always need someone to rescue you?]  
_  
"No, I don't."

 _[Is Pony Tsunotori the kind of girl who waits for things to come to her?]_

"No! She takes the chance and leaps!" Pony told her with renewed vigor.

Her mother was right, why was she wasting her time feeling sad and homesick?

She had her parents support.

Sure she missed home, she couldn't forget about it after all.

But by her Mother's advice, all she had to do was find an anchor. Someone who would make her time here worthwhile.

Then, Pony's eyes glanced up at the brightly shining moon up above.

* * *

 _She took a deep breath and prepared to let it out._

 _"_ _ **Su-**_ _"_

 _But a feather brushed past her nose and made her sneeze. But that didn't stop the words from leaving._

 _"_ _ **Tsuki!**_ _"_

* * *

Pony blushed at the memory.

 _'Why did I think of that?'_ Pony asked herself. She then took a glance at the door behind her.

Or rather, remembering the green-haired boy inside.

' _Izuku?'_

Though her thoughts were interrupted by her mother.

 _[Do you feel better now, Pony?]_

Pony smiled. "Yes I am Mom, thanks a lot. I needed that."

 _[And I'm glad I helped,]_ her mother replied. _[Did you make any new friends there?]  
_  
"Yeah, I have," Pony cheerfully said. "Not a lot, but I've made a couple. They've been really kind to me."

 _[Really? How so?]_

Pony smiled. "One is this classmate, I have, she's like a big sister. She's helped everyone in my class get through the first days of school. And another even went so far as to teach me Japanese! He spent a month bearing with my horrible Englipanese just to teach me!"

[Wow, he sounds like a good friend?]

Pony nodded. "He really is! He even helped me make the Jambalaya! It tasted _so_ good!"

 _[He helped you?]_

Pony awkwardly laughed. "Well… I can't say it was voluntary… I mean I did force him a bit."

 _[You sound like you're very comfortable around this… boy.]_ Her mother said in a suggestive tone. [How old is he?]

"He's my age, we are in the same school year," Pony told her. "And yeah, he makes me feel really comfortable. He can speak English really well, and the conversations we have are really fun. And he's got this dorky thing where sometimes he's really cool and at others he's really awkward and shy."

 _[So you think he's cute?]  
_  
"Cute? Why would you-" Pony finally realized.

How had she missed her mother's subtle attempts at information gathering?

 _[Hehe.]_

"M-Mom?"

 _[Hehehehe.]_

"M-Mom? You okay?"

 _[Tell me more about his boy,]_ her mother asked rather suspiciously.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she chose to answer. "Sure, but what do you want to know?"

Surely her mother could only ask simpl-

 _[You think your father would like him?]_

Pony burst in red.

" _M-MOM!_ "

 _[Oh my God are you blushing? Wait till your father hears about this-]_

"OH MY GOD, MOM! WHY?!"

* * *

Needless to say, Pony's mother drilled her for information. They spent a long time on the phone together

Izuku had already finished setting up the table with coffee mugs, a cup with sugar cubes, some teaspoons, etc. before Pony got back. He was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as she walked through the door.

"Oh hey Pony. That took a while, everything alright?" Izuku asked, wondering how the conversation went. _ **  
**_ _  
_Pony smiled at him as she made her way back to her chair. "I've never been better."

Izuku smiled back as he hid a sigh in relief.

"You took a while, so, in the spare time I had, I made PB&J's." Izuku laid out the sandwiches in place for them both. "I hope this makes for a good midnight snack."

Pony nodded. "It does, thank you."

Izuku sat down in front of her, as they partook in the late-night snack.

"So, what did your family say about the Jambalaya?" Izuku asked, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"..."

Izuku raised an eyebrow and looked at Pony due to her being unresponsive

Only to find said girl as red as a tomato.

"Pony? Do you have a fever or something?"

"N-N-No, it's nothing," Pony stuttered. "She said I did a good job."

Pony managed to say as bits of their conversation about Izuku were coming back to her.

 _'Mom, why?'_

* * *

"This is the first time I've slept in the living room before."

Izuku and Pony had finished their food and washed the dishes. Now, it was time for only one thing.

Sleep.

Izuku still wouldn't let Pony into his room, and they couldn't sleep in his Mom's room even with her bed being bigger.

So they went with option C: the living room.

"Really now?" Pony asked him.

"Yeah, I have a room for a reason," Izuku told her.

He moved the table out of the way and into the kitchen as Pony laid out her sleeping bag.

Then Izuku put his own sleeping bag next to hers with a small distance in between.

"There, now we can sleep," Izuku said. Before turning off the lights and laying down on the sleeping bag.

As both of them laid down on their respective sleeping bags, it got really quiet really fast.

"Hey, Izuku?" Pony attempted to break the silence.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for having me over," Pony told him. "I had a lot of fun."

"..."

Izuku smiled.

Pony thought Izuku was asleep due to the silence. "Izuku?"

"No, thank you, Pony," Izuku said. "This has been my best sleepover yet."

"Isn't it your first?"

"Exactly!"

Pony smiled and giggled. "You're welcome then." She pulled up her blanket. "Goodnight, Izuku."

"Goodnight, Pony."

As they both said their goodnights to each other, Pony turned over to where izuku was located.

Albeit it was dark, the windows still brought a little bit of light to see the least bit of figures.

But she could see Izuku's sleeping face clearly.

* * *

 _[You think he's cute?]_

* * *

Pony smiled as she remembered.

She never did answer that question, but if she had to...

Well, she had him invite her over, practically forced Izuku to let her sleepover, but he never complained. He even thanked her!

And so to answer her mother's question:

Did she find the understanding, gentle, helpful, kind green-haired boy right beside her cute?

Yes.

Pony smiled as she whispered something before she fell into slumber.

 _'I do.'_

* * *

 _ **AN: HOOLLYY SH*T. I WAS GONE FOR A LONG WHILE WASN'T I? WELL YOU CAN BLAME MY LAST MINUTE CRUNCHING FOR EXAMS FOR THAT.**_

 _ **YES. PONY IS FROM NEW ORLEANS, IN MY FIC AT LEAST.**_

 _ **I WAS JUST SEARCHING FOR DISHES THAT THEY COULD COOK. AND JAMBALAYA CAME UP. SO JUST LIKE THAT, Pony Tsunotori IS FROM NEW ORLEANS!**_

 _ **SIGNING OFF… ZacFF.**_


End file.
